Are any of us really in a hurry to grow up? The lively crowd at the National Theatre Wednesday evening would respond with a resounding “No!” Broadway at the National is currently featuring a new adaptation of Peter Pan the musical, revamped by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse. This new take on the original features a few new numbers and clever updates while sticking to tried and true classics. If the raucous applause upon Peter’s first flight onstage is anything to go by, this generation of theatergoers is just as interested in Peter and his story as they were in 1989.

Much of the new material works quite well, like “Friends Forever”— a number featuring Tiger Lily, her crew, and Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Replacing the incredibly dated and offensive “Ugg-a-Wugg,” “Friends Forever” is performed at the end of Act I and serves as a plot device to get our beloved leads in one place so they can form an alliance — and have a dance-off. Catchy and choreography-heavy, “Friends Forever” is an excellent example of how original intention does not have to mean inflexibility. This new number is both technically better and respectful, rather than lazy and ignorant.

On the flip side, the other new number is a short reprise of the Lost Boys’ famous “I Won’t Grow Up” at the beginning of Act II — titled “We Hate Those Kids.” One wonders if this number — performed by the Pirates in front of the curtain — was created to pad the running time or allow for a set change. Nothing of substance came of it other than a few chuckles, and it failed to add any tangible character moments for the Pirates. Why would they sing anything remotely similar to the Lost Boys? The Pirates pride themselves on having little to nothing in common with children and consider the Lost Boys their nemesis. In the score, every number initiated by the Pirates as a group exists outside the main narrative and serves as meta-exposition or is a vehicle for Captain Hook’s evil plans. “We Hate Those Kids” veers sharply away from the character-driven numbers we come to expect from the Pirates and winds up being more confusing than anything else.

Technically, Peter Pan at the National is a marvel. Flying-sequences choreographer Paul Rubin clearly put many hours toward ensuring the actors are comfortable being lifted and lowered on their wires, and the many backflips performed by Nolan Almeida as Peter had the audience cheering for more. The projections designed for John, Michael, Wendy, and Peter’s flight to Neverland were beautifully detailed, taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride through London. Projection designer Bavid Bengali must be congratulated on such a clever concept.

The sets were gorgeous as well, and it was impossible not to let out a gasp as the many mossy green platforms that make up the Lost Boys’ hideout came rolling in. Scenic designer Anna Louizos did a bang-up job plunging the audience directly into the heart of Neverland.

The acting standouts came from all over the map, the highlights of which were Hawa Kamara as Wendy and Cody Garcia as Mr. Darling/Captain Hook. Kamara absolutely shone onstage with a gorgeous earnestness and sharp comedic timing. Wendy is a very necessary contrast to the bumbling Lost Boys, and Kamara played the parts of logician and big sister swimmingly. Garcia was an excellent Captain Hook, though the choice to adopt a Scottish accent was confusing. Garcia’s otherwise nuanced performance was hampered by Lonny Price’s direction; their Mr. Darling was too far removed from their Captain Hook. There is a very sound reason why the actor playing Mr. Darling doubles for Hook — Darling’s children see him as a villain in Act I. This is why, when the children return home, we see a completely changed father. Garcia is clearly a skilled performer; one wishes director Lonny Price had spent some more time with the actors discussing underlying themes.

Stakes were a huge pitfall for this production — the story of Peter Pan is magical and scary. The character of Peter can be both wonderful and tyrannical, Hook can be both charismatic and ruthless, the Pirates can be both goofy and bloodthirsty. The most interesting takes on J.M. Barrie’s novel are the ones that aren’t afraid to challenge the young audiences to think about what they are seeing. This production decided to brush over (or leave out) Pan’s declaration of “This time, it’s Hook or me!,” one of the Lost Boys asking Peter to kill him after discovering he has killed the Wendy Bird, tying Tiger Lily to Marooners Rock and leaving her for dead, Peter’s line “To die will be an awfully big adventure,” the Lost Boy’s line “or be banished if we don’t” (referring to the consequences of growing up), and indeed, Hook’s death at the hands of the crocodile. Spoon-feeding the audience emotional moments and refusing to lend any gravitas to the show’s many life-or-death moments left this production essentially toothless. The National Theatre’s Peter Pan is a technical marvel with many good performances but don’t forget: the only thing separating Peter Pan from Lord of the Flies is fairy dust.

Peter Pan plays through April 21, 2024, at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington. Tickets ($69–$139) are available online or at the box office.

The cast and creative credits for the touring production are here.

COVID Safety: Masks are strongly recommended but not required for all ticket holders. For full COVID protocol, go here.

ASL Interpretation is available during the 2:00 pm performance on Saturday, April 13. Audio Description is available during the 2:00 pm performance on Saturday, April 13, and the 1:00 pm performance on Thursday, April 18.

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As one of their final rounds at their current studio space, NOVA Nightsky Theater has staged Alan Ayckbourn’s Table Manners. This is a bold choice for a black box — Ayckbourn’s six-person comedy can border on absurd and requires a tight-knit ensemble of language lovers. The stakes must be scorching, and the timing should be perfect. Ayckbourn’s script has next to no moments of built-in rumination; the audience must draw their own conclusions from the constant barrage of pontification firing from each character. The overarching question of the play seems to be: if all we get from characters is their inner world, how do we choose a side? With director Ward Kay at the helm, Table Manners makes us believe that every family drama should be staged in a black box, and to never ever trust your brother-in-law.

Table Manners is part of Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy called The Norman Conquests — each play takes place in a different part of the same English country home, on the same weekend, and with the same set of characters. The other two plays feature incredibly accessible settings. One is set in the garden and the other is set in the living room. As actors and directors know well, an open floor plan is a double-edged sword. Scenes can essentially block themselves and actors will be inspired to try new things, but the set dressing must be painfully specific. The exact opposite is true in a play set in a dining room. A director can fuss over plates and forks, if the scene requires a sideboard and if the characters need coats, but they cannot escape one thing: the table.

The NOVA Nightsky team opted for a classic wooden dining room set, complete with four straight-backed chairs that move around the table as the action requires. There is no tablecloth, and this was a good choice. Both because it seems that the faceless bedridden matriarch of the family is not used to having guests, and the action below the table is just as important as the action on it. Sarah, played to frenetic perfection by April Everett, usually has her legs or ankles crossed. Sarah is constantly micro-managing her husband and sister-in-law and is usually on the threshold of a nervous breakdown.

On the opposite side of the spectrum resides Norman, played by Hanlon Smith-Dorsey giving one of the strongest performances in the show. Norman is always lounging. He lounges on his kitchen chair, against the table, and has even found a way to lounge while standing. We would not have the pleasure of observing these two very different character choices in a garden or a living room, because gardens and living rooms are already places of leisure. A dining room demands a certain amount of decorum. Some characters abide by this, and others do not. Kudos to Kay, designer Adam Ressa for the set, and the company for choosing the most loaded option and running with it.

One downside of a dining room set is the puzzle of creating natural momentum. One of the best scenes in NOVA Nightsky’s Table Manners is when all six actors are onstage around the table. They have finally decided where they are going to sit and have tentatively begun to eat. This scene is a powder keg, the actors shooting barbs each other until the tension mounts to an almost intolerable pitch. This carefully crafted scene-work unfolds without an actor needing to stand up once. In a play that takes place in a more comfortable location like a living room or garden, standing up is jarring but not necessarily a mood-killer. At a dining room table, standing up simply to make a point is a very strong choice that needs to be backed up by hefty emotional currency. I would urge the cast and crew to look at those moments and decide if they are necessary.

The props and costumes sourced by the technical team and actors themselves were truly out of this world. NOVA Nightsky managed to find a lovely English tea set, complete with a toast holder. This wealth of options gave the actors quite a bit to do onstage. Some of the best costumes were worn by Smith-Dorsey as Norman and Elyse R. Smith as Annie. Norman graces us with an incredibly ugly white-and-gray-patterned shirt and some very wide-legged pants — perfectly period. Annie sports a blue and green tartan dress that conveys black sheep without being too over-the-top. The cherry on top is the soundscape, designed by Kay and Ressa. A highlight is “Love the One You’re With” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, which perfectly encapsulates the attitude of the play: the characters are constantly seeking validation from each other and rarely get it. Bravo to NOVA Nightsky for a wonderfully zany time at the theater.

Running Time: Two hours, including one 15-minute intermission.

Table Manners plays February 9–10 and February 15–17, 2024, at NOVA Nightsky Theater, 1057 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA. Tickets range from $18 to $25. For tickets and more information, please visit novanightskytheater.com.

COVID Safety: Masks are optional.

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Few theater-makers mess with their creation’s free will quite like Stephen Sondheim. His 1987 musical, Into the Woods, is a masterclass on fourth wall breaking, and the dramatic tonal shift in Act II is always as exciting to watch as it is difficult to pull off.

A play on classic fairytales, Into the Woods is a mature exploration of morality, love, and whether people are ever truly good or bad. As the plot progresses, lives are entangled, and relationships are formed — for better or for worse.

Into the Woods is heavily formulaic in that comedic beats and technical elements are built into the first act in such a way that discourages reinvention. Sondheim crafted a ridiculously tight show, and our intrepid directors must decide if they want to reimagine Into the Woods simply for the sake of reimagination, or if they would rather focus on the journey into humanity that Sondheim has offered up on a silver platter. The Arlington Players have chosen to run with the latter — and their production of Into the Woods pulls it off nicely.

In Act I, director Krissy McGregor and set designer Bill Murray have worked together to create a classic three-panel setup. Murray created some interesting moments while adhering to tried-and-true ideas, and it was refreshing to see the middle panel depicting the Baker’s house pulled straight up and off the deck rather than brought into a wing. Murray and his team made a good choice in using the largest pieces as framing devices, essentially nixing smaller pieces.

Director McGregor opted to don her choreographer hat to convey moments otherwise supported by set pieces — like Cinderella’s stepfamily attending the ball. Instead of a cumbersome carriage set piece, McGregor inserted a twist on a traveling triplet. This solidifies the stepfamily as a unit and takes advantage of the trot built into the dance move. Simple adjustments like this cut out the need for superfluous tech and allow transitions to be seamless and fun to watch. Take notes!

The cast is stuffed with talent, with every actor in possession of a beautifully dexterous voice. Some standouts include Cody Boehm, whose Cinderella is refreshingly dry and just the tiniest bit disillusioned. Boehm is a true Sondheim soprano with a voice like melted butter, and her relationship with Little Red (AnnaBelle Lowe) shines through in “No One Is Alone” — with Lowe matching her both in emotional refinement and singing chops. Another gorgeous moment came to fruition with “No More,” the duet between The Baker (Chris D’Angelo) and the Mysterious Man (Rene “Kieth” Flores). D’Angelo’s and Flores’ voices are a match made in heaven, and McGregor plopped a cherry on top of a delicious sundae by sticking D’Angelo on a rock and having Flores hover near him uncertainly for the entirety of the number. She hit the nail on the head; we don’t need any fancy staging here. The score speaks for itself — and the actors can certainly carry it off.

Warning: spoilers ahead. Usually, The Narrator (Grey Moszkowski) recites these fairytales as if from a novel — à la Grimm Bros. However, in TAP’s production, the characters are being written into cognition before our very eyes. In Act I, The Narrator produces a piece of paper and quill before the first chord is struck. He is making it up as he goes along. This is a colossal twist on the material with mixed results.

Moszkowski’s Narrator is appropriately sadistic, and we empathize with the rest of the cast when he is accused of messing with the story. However, if we’re going ahead with the narrator/author idea, the ensuing chaos must be flawlessly motivated. When The Narrator is axed, some characters — like The Steward (Morgan DeHart) — are left at a crossroads. Some embrace the role The Narrator has foisted upon them. In The Steward’s case, he is doomed to the role of stooge — intent on carrying out punitive justice for the greater good. Some characters grow and change, and some are punished for their wrongs. Does The Baker’s Wife (played by the incomparable Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo) perish because she has gained full autonomy and would have steered the plot in a direction not originally prescribed by The Narrator? Is this some leftover retribution The Narrator had in store for her, but the process was botched because he was cut off halfway through his artistic process? Adding a tertiary layer to the plot was an interesting idea — but how meta do we really want to get?

This pseudo-creator choice was a bold one and leaves us with more questions than answers. TAP’s production can stand on its own without added elements. TAP came through with an impeccable cast and smart tech, and that, in and of itself, is enough.

Running Time: Three hours with one 15-minute intermission.

Into the Woods plays through October 8, 2023, presented by The Arlington Players performing at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 South Old Glebe Road, Arlington, VA. Tickets ($30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, and $20 for students and children) can be purchased online or by calling The Box Office at 703-549-1063.

The cast, creative, and production credits are online here.

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With just two actors and minimal set dressing, Studio Theatre’s Espejos: Clean by Christine Quintana relies on skillful storytelling and an excellent script to illustrate a heart-wrenching hierarchy of needs in two acts. We follow Adriana as she begins her 12-hour shift at a resort in Cancún. We hear about her day-to-day at the resort and slowly gather bits and pieces about her family and personal life. As we learn about her splintered family tree and the ensuing loss of her childhood sweetheart, we are brought into reality with a jolt as Adriana encounters Sarah — a resort guest hailing from Vancouver and the maid of honor at her sister’s destination wedding.

Throughout the two-hour play, Adriana’s and Sarah’s paths cross only thrice. Each moment causes a character to spiral into a symphony of existential dread and emotional compartmentalization. Though Sarah and Adriana are islands kept afloat by their love of (or need for?) solitude, it is in these moments of gentle commiseration and friction that they experience tangible change. The brilliance of the piece lies in its ability to capture individual thought processes and splash them onto the pristine white-tiled stage with its projections, literal dirt, and rich soundscape.

Director Elena Araoz and set designer Raul Abrego harness the power of negative space to give the actors a blank coloring book, ripe for imagination. White was a brilliant choice for the deck, and as the plot gets messier, bits of dirt and blobs of light seem to follow the actors as their ghosts inevitably corner them. Lighting and projection designers Alberto Segarra and Luis Garcia have created a lush dreamscape to encapsulate the audience in whichever space Adriana is currently exploring in her journey to find fulfillment.

The character Adriana speaks almost solely in Spanish, speaking in English only when she is conversing with Sarah. When she speaks Spanish, English subtitles are projected onto the upstage wall and shown on screens on either side of the house, and vice versa when Sarah is speaking English. Studio Theatre did an excellent job seamlessly transitioning from English to Spanish subtitles, and this feature forces us to examine what accessibility really means. Legna Cedillo (Adriana) uses her extensive acting chops and luminous cadence to buoy us ruthlessly from plot point to plot point, using the power of stillness to throw the audience off balance. It is in these moments that we are forced to feel Adriana’s rippling despair and fierce joy. Cedillo is truly a class act.

Sarah, played by Lauren Karaman, possesses that same relentless forward momentum felt in Cedillo’s Adriana, with a hard twist. Sarah hungers for the truth in all things. She sees herself primarily as the family screw-up and staggers from self-flagellation to afternoon blackouts. This is all a coping mechanism, of course, masking a devastating act of predation that occurred in Sarah’s and her bride-to-be sister’s childhoods. When Sarah witnesses an incident of perceived sexual violence involving Adriana, Sarah takes it upon herself to approach Adriana and offer her well-meaning (if misguided) support. Without getting into spoilers, this moment forces Sarah to take a hard look at her own life and examine what a privilege it is to have the resources to pursue truth, and whether kindness is ever selfless.

Content Warning: Depictions of intoxication, depiction of injury, simulated intercourse, mentions of sexual assault, descriptions of imagined torture scenes.

Running Time: Approximately two hours and 5 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

Espejos: Clean plays through October 22, 2023, at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. For tickets ($35–$84, with low-cost options and discounts available), go online or call the box office at 202-332-3300.

The program for Espejos: Clean is online in English here and in Spanish here.

COVID Safety: All performances are mask recommended. Studio Theatre’s complete Health and Safety protocols are here.

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How would Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream unfold if the fairies were in charge? Like, really in charge? The Rude Mechanicals strive to answer that question with Ill Met by Moonlight, a movement-based interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most dynamic works. The Rudes embrace the darker aspects (literally) of Midsummer with Ill Met, slashing the script in half and repositioning some key plot points. This would usually be pretty risky — Shakespeare’s plays are heavily plot-driven; relationship builds on relationship until the explosion lurking on the periphery finally shows its face. However, Midsummer is uniquely fractured. We have the fairies, the mechanicals, and the humans. Each group exists in its own world, and only the human, Bottom, truly crosses over. The Rudes decided to throw all the ingredients into the pot and with Ill Met by Moonlight have produced some truly delicious results.

One of the most striking elements was the set, designed by Erin Nealer. Ill Met is staged in the Greenbelt Arts Center, which is home to a lovely black box. The set is unassuming at first, incredibly barebones with only a black background to give us any hint of scenery. As the play progresses, however, we start to see hints of color. Fairy Queen Titania (Aparna Sri) and Oberon, her king (Claudia Bach), step through the black background onto the stage as if they have been transported directly from the fairy world to the human world. Each actor bursts through a door on either end of the stage, which Puck (Wes Dennis) conjures into existence by way of a chalk drawing.

Dennis draws a swooping line from top to bottom for each door, which creates the effect of ripping apart the space-time continuum and effectively sets the otherworldly tone for the rest of the play. We briefly see the inside each of the doors, which teases us with a kaleidoscope of color and frothy fabric until they slam shut and we are once again in the human world. Nealer and director Joshua Engel have collaborated beautifully, and Engel’s dark-versus-light concept comes through strongly in all technical aspects. My only criticism: give us more! As an audience, we wanted to be fully immersed in Engel’s world and there wasn’t quite enough color sprinkled throughout the set to make us fully enamored of fairyland.

There were several strong performances in Ill Met, most of which came from the mechanicals themselves. As an ensemble, their repartee worked well and the scene in which we were introduced to each mechanical was one of the strongest in the play. The chemistry was there, and each actor knew exactly who they were and what they wanted. This scene was a testament to how important it is to give actors business onstage. It’s impossible to stand purposefully still and mug for the entirety of a scene, and Engel clearly had some juicy discussions with Peter Quince (Peter Eichman) and co. about what each actor could be doing as Nick Bottom (Kate Medwar-Vanderlinden) perpetually peacocks. Medwar-Vanderlinden was both charming and insufferable, and her firm grasp of the language shone through as she acted her way through a donkey mask that covered her entire face (no mean feat). Her Nick Bottom was perfectly ridiculous. The Rude Mechanicals put together an illuminating production, and many moments worked exceedingly well. If their tech is slightly tweaked and scenes are tightened up, Ill Met by Moonlight will shine even brighter.

Running Time: 75 minutes with no intermission.

Ill Met by Moonlight plays through September 9, 2023, presented by the Rude Mechanicals performing at Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD. To purchase tickets ($24, general admission; $22, senior/military; $12, child/student), call (301) 317-7964 or go online.

COVID Safety: Masks are optional, except masks are required at the September 3 matinee.

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Pull out your favorite vintage suit or gown and head down to NextStop Theatre Company’s black box. Inside, you will find the space fully converted into a high school gymnasium bedecked with everything from a full bar serving punch (spiked and not) to red and white balloons littering the gym floor. It’s prom night, 1958, and prom-goers are about to witness a special performance from The Marvelous Wonderettes. They are filling in for the boy’s glee club after one of the boys got suspended — again. Lucky us!

The Wonderettes guide us through an evening of musical fun with classics like “Stupid Cupid” and “Mr. Sandman” while simultaneously creating a window into their relationships to the school and with each other. Cindy Lou is the prima donna of the group, Missy has a secret love, Suzy needs us all to know that she just got pinned, and Betty Jeans is intent on doing her own thing — much to the chagrin of Cindy Lou. Relationships are exposed, bubbles are blown, and hair is pulled, but it all turns out OK in the end. After all, high school doesn’t last forever!

Super Senior Prom! Featuring: The Marvelous Wonderettes ’58 — written and created by Roger Bean, is a lovely example of what theater can be. With built-in audience interaction, The Wonderettes gently ask you to participate in the festivities with things like voting for prom queen and keeping their props safe while they figure out the next segment of their musical repertoire. Production designer Evan Hoffmann and director Carolyn Burke have put together a charming and functional set, ensuring The Wonderettes are front and center on a raised platform. The audience resides on the ground level and on several tiers of seats against the back wall. The seating is extremely cushy — each pair of seats has an accompanying table where audience members can store cheddar cheese popcorn, pretzels, or any of the other scrumptious snacks available for purchase at the bar.

Because the show is advertised as interactive, it might be a good idea to investigate more ways to center the audience. For example, Principal Varney (played by the hilarious Shaina Murphy) moves throughout the audience before The Wonderettes enter the space, taking notes on a clipboard and making small talk with audience members. She speaks with prom-goers about their choice of dress and what activities they have planned for the summer for a few minutes before lingering on the sidelines. There is an extended period before the show starts to allow audience members to visit the bar, and this creates a wealth of opportunity. In an interactive show, the relationship between the audience and actors begins as soon as we walk through the door, and if Murphy and her fellow actors are given more tools with which to work the crowd, we would feel more involved, and the atmosphere would be more believable.

The Wonderettes themselves are indeed Marvelous — each actor is a certified triple threat, and their vocal quartet is perfectly balanced. Jordyn Taylor’s voice is an absolute showstopper, and Taylor uses her operatic soprano to add comedic layers to the character of Missy. Taylor’s rendition of “Teacher’s Pet,” originally performed by Doris Day circa 1958, was excellent. Another standout performance was that of Emma Harris as Suzy. Harris’ voice is nimble and crystal clear, and she plays Suzy with genuine earnestness. Ruth McCoy Miles and Maya Tischler as Cindy Lou and Betty Jeans, respectively, have the difficult task of creating a contentious relationship with very little spoken dialogue. Each actor has the chops to do some heavy character-building during musical numbers, and Tischler and McCoy Miles’ comedic timing is spot on. Choreography adds a lot to this show, and it was smart to have Carolyn Burke as both director and choreographer. Burke’s choreography moves The Wonderettes seamlessly from musical numbers to scenes with dialogue, and Burke has quite an eye for physical comedy.

Super Senior Prom! Featuring: The Marvelous Wonderettes ’58 was truly a feast for the eyes and ears, and with squeaky clean choreography, superb talent, and killer musical arrangements, it’s the perfect summer show. Go, chipmunks!

Running Time: Two hours with no intermission.

Super Senior Prom: Featuring the Marvelous Wonderettes ’58 plays through August 6, 2023, at NextStop Theatre Company, 269 Sunset Park, Herndon VA. For tickets ($35), call the box office at (703)-481-5930. Reserved-seating tickets are available online or at the door on performance days.

Super Senior Prom: Featuring the Marvelous Wonderettes ’58
Written and Created by Roger Bean
Musical Arrangements by Brian William Baker
Orchestrations by Michael Borth
Vocal Arrangements by Roger Bean & Brian William Baker
Directed by Carolyn Burke

SEE ALSO:
NextStop Theatre to host summer throwback ‘Super Senior Prom’ (news story, June 28, 2023)
NextStop Theatre Company announces 2023/24 season
(news story, June 6, 2023)

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The program for Wildwood Summer Theatre’s production of Head Over Heels — original book by Jeff Whitty and music by The Go-Go’s — is chock full of helpful information. Courtesy of dramaturgs Katie Quinn and Delaney Gregg, the program boasts four pages on everything from The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney (the source material for Whitty’s script) to interesting tidbits on the mythological Amazons and The Go-Go’s themselves. These details set expectations sky-high long before the actors set foot onstage. If ruffs are mentioned, we want to see ruffs. If courtly dances are mentioned, those had better be integrated into the choreography. And the production does not disappoint. In Wildwood Summer Theatre’s rendition of Head Over Heels, every acting moment is fleshed out and every technical element is tightly interwoven with the director’s vision.

The show opens with the most well-known Go-Go’s jam, “We Got the Beat.” Fueled by the mysterious “beat,” the citizens of Arcadia are connected by their love of song and dance, and on the surface, Arcadia is a utopia. But as we dive into the plot, the cracks begin to show. King Basilius (played by Ross Bollinger) is a narcissistic cad and has left most of his kingdom’s logic puzzles to his wife, Queen Gynecia (played by Evelyn Micacci). Their eldest daughter Pamela (played by Emma Rose Dorsch) is beset by suitors but finds fault with every option. Her younger sister Philoclea (played by Caleigh Riordan Davis) is generally underappreciated and overlooked. This family unit is on the brink of collapse, and it only takes a gentle push from Pythio, the Oracle of Delphi (played by Jae K. Gee) to send the royal family on a quest for answers. Along the way, Princess Pamela falls in love with her handmaiden Mopsa (played by Lulu Mote), and Philoclea gets together with her childhood friend Musidorus (played by Katie Quinn). There is love, loss, and some spectacular sword fighting, courtesy of fight director Kiefer Cure. Cure brought a raw realism to the fight between Musidorus and King Basilius, the few minutes of which left the audience white-knuckled in our seats.

This cast is simply excellent. From the acting chops demonstrated by Jae K. Gee as the effervescent Pythio and Scott Armiger as the high-strung viceroy Dametas to the golden vocal quartet of Lulu Mote, Caleigh Riordan Davis, Emma Rose Dorsch, and Katie Quinn, Head Over Heels is simply bursting with talent. Evelyn Micacci and Ross Bollinger are a magical pair as king and queen and their two duets, “This Old Feeling” and “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” were hilarious and incredibly rock ‘n’ roll. The ensemble adds a lot to the show, playing a lion, serpent, owls, and the like. Each actor was necessary, and the dance corps made up of Maggie Rocha, Kit Aylesworth, Hanna Biedron, Hannah Briceño, Gabrielle Witte, Madelyn Zaccari, Taylor Litofsky, and Samantha Cernich had some pretty moments. Choreographers Kit Aylesworth and Caitlin Valleskey created some great lines, using every actor onstage to create nicely layered stage images. If the spacing is cleaned up a little bit, the effect will be even better.

In their director’s note, Ileana Blustein mentions that when Head Over Heels premiered on Broadway in 2018, it had a short run and disappointing ticket sales. As someone who had never heard of the jukebox musical let alone seen it, this surprised me. Wildwood Summer Theatre’s Head Over Heels is exuberantly queer and delightfully subverts the subject matter from which it draws. The show explores genre-bending like no other, fusing Elizabethan fashions with glam rock accessories and ’70s punk with frothy love ballads. The costume department led by Maddy Cooper must’ve had a ton of fun putting together the myriad of leather pants, glitter, and corsets that bedecked the actors. The vision was clear, and the costumers should be very proud of themselves — they were the cherry on top of a jubilant cake. The six-piece orchestra was larger than life and was located upstage center under several platforms, and they sounded great. Unfortunately, in a volume battle between vocals and instruments, the instruments almost always win. It may behoove the production team to look into the onstage mixing to make sure we can always hear the actors over the musicians.

Overall, Wildwood Summer Theatre has an electrifying bit of theater on its hands. It’s truly something special when the passions of the production and acting teams bleed into the very being of the show. Every moment felt like a new discovery, and the show’s triumphant story radiated through every actor. Director Bluestein harnessed pure humanity with Head Over Heels and created something that I could see again and again. Congrats to the citizens of Arcadia and the crew of Head Over Heels for bringing the beat back.

Running Time: Approximately two hours plus a 15-minute intermission.

Head Over Heels plays through August 5, 2023, presented by Wildwood Summer Theater performing at the Cultural Arts Center Theatre 2, Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD. Purchase tickets ($20; senior, military educator, $18; student, $14) online.

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